Europes Long Energy Journey: Towards an Energy Union?

Hardcover | April 18, 2016

This book will explore how far the European Union can go towards forming its 28 member states into an Energy Union. It analyses how the EU can achieve its goal of providing energy affordability, security, and sustainability in the light of internal dynamics in European energy markets, and ofthe urgency in mitigating climate change. It also considers the increasingly unfavourable external context for the cost and security aspects of Europe's go-it-alone decarbonization effort created by oil price volatility and geo-political tensions with Russia. Chapter 1 provides an overview of past energy and climate decisions in order to situate current EU policy and successive chapters tackle the new energy challenges. The volume covers the growing tension between Brussels' campaign to liberalise and integrate energy markets through cross-bordercompetition and trade, and increasing state intervention through national renewable subsidies that fragment the market. It also analyses the revolution in electricity markets and investment incentives turned upside down by renewable subsidies, and proposes a new market design to guide Europe throughthis uncharted territory. The book examines the need for flexible demand response from energy consumers as a match to increasingly inflexible energy supply from weather-dependent renewables. It also looks at the EU's 2030 targets and proposed emission trading and renewable energy reforms, and assesses how they measure up tothe climate commitments of other countries as well as to the EU's long term climate aims. Underscoring the EU's inability to exist in its own energy bubble, two chapters analyse whether European industry can stay competitive with the rest of the world and how Europe is diversifying its energysources away from Russia. The conclusion examines what a genuine energy union might mean in terms of EU governance of national energy policies, and how far short the EU will fall short of this.

Pricing and Purchase Info

This book will explore how far the European Union can go towards forming its 28 member states into an Energy Union. It analyses how the EU can achieve its goal of providing energy affordability, security, and sustainability in the light of internal dynamics in European energy markets, and ofthe urgency in mitigating climate change. It ...

David Buchan has specialised in EU energy policy at OIES since 2007. Before that he was a career journalist with the Economist and the Financial Times for 36 years. He has been posted in Brussels, Washington, and Paris, and while based in London for the FT held a number of jobs including
energy editor, as well as East Europe editor, de...

Educational/Developmental Value:

Durability:

Hours of Play:

Thank you. Your review has been submitted and will appear here shortly.

Reviews

Extra Content

Table of Contents

1. The Early Years2. The Changing Dynamics: The Single Market, Climate Change, and Enlargement3. Taking Stock: Achievements, Costs, and Challenges4. Liberalisation vs. Intervention5. An Electricity Market Turned Upside Down6. Demand Side Response: The New Imperative7. Controlling the Cost of Clean Energy8. Competing with the Rest of the World9. Energy Security: The Divorce with Russia10. Energy Union: A slogan or Something More?